6:45am – Alarm goes off, it’s another morning brought in my Deer Tick’s “Not So Dense”. The heavy guitar strums awake me in an annoyed frenzy to shut it off. I lay there contemplating moving or getting up at all. I remember I have an 8 0’clock Kinesiology class followed by lab, which I contemplate skipping for the first time this year just for a few more hours of shut eye. After weighing the pros and cons, half asleep, terrified I may not be able to choose any longer if I do fall back asleep, I pull myself out of the high bed and drag myself into the bathroom.
Routines. My morning is filled with them. Go to the bathroom, wash face, make coffee, toast bagels, bowl of cereal (this morning’s choice is a healthy bowl of Kellogg’s pops). As I leave the bathroom, I remembered last night I let pup and rock-o inside due to the dense cold. They great me at the bathroom door with some licks and wagging tails. As I make my way across the chilly hardwood floor, I open the door and say my goodbyes to the dogs. I throw on some heavy layers of clothes, its roughly twenty degrees out this morning. I barley have enough time to sit at the breakfast bar, and eat my cereal, apply peanut butter and honey to my bagel and take a couple sips of coffee, until I notice the clock says 7:25. I scarf down all the food I can, and fill up my tumbler of coffee, grab my bags and head out.
The thirty minute drive into town is spent catching up on National Public Radio’s (NPR) news of the day. I try to make sense of today’s political jabber, but remembered I had my ipod with me, and get annoyed very easy with the arguing. I put it on shuffle, sip coffee and bring in Scioto County’s sunrise.
7:57am – I arrive three minutes before eight. After giving up trying to find any decent parking space, in an already crowded lot, I park by the police station and proceed on a steady powerful walk to Massie Hall. I climb up to the second floor, with a good high knee bounce in my stride, make my way to room 206, and walk into the class, and retrieve today's lecture power points with a minute to spare. I sit down and get comfortable. Today’s lecture will be about biomechanics, and the next hour and five minutes are spent getting hit with a hundred different terms, differential human movements, and everything in-between. I’m on a good 3-4 cups of coffee by now, but my morning buzz is starting to wear off. Luckily, biomechanics is something that really grabs my interest, so it doesn’t give much to keep a watchful eye and listening ear.
9:15am – We head to the third floor for the second part of class, which today will consist of a bone and joint identification lab. While many students work in groups, looking at different bones, taking there time in-between to talk about jersey shore, and asking stupid questions, I am making check marks and highlighting words my lab packet in a quick and efficient pace. We are given about fifty body parts including, femur, hand, wrist, fibula, tibia, etc… After forty five minutes, I remembered last night contemplating waking up at 6am, and running a very dark and cold five miler before I head into town, or opting to get some sleep and running after lab. I opted on number two, yesterday’s workout, though fairly short but fast on the track, left my right soleus muscle (shin-splints) a bit tight and painful.
10:00am – After finishing up marking and identifying every bone in our lab, I make my way to the gym. Only a couple of people are there shooting around, and doing some sprints. I quickly change into half tights, a light half-zip, and gloves. As I walk outside to start, there is still a fright chill in the air, making me wish I would of packed full-tights and a hat. I save the previous time on my chronograph (25:36 – 3.5 mile cool down from yesterday’s run), start my watch from zero, and head out on the morning route which many bears before me know quite well. As I notice an annoying small pain in my shin, I think about jumping on the grassy floodwall for an out and back, but decide against it because it would be easier to break up the morning run and get some splits.
The usual things run through my head… “what homework or tests do I have coming up?”, “I’m very hungry”, “I wish it was spring”… and this weekend’s race usually slips in there, probably me going into the last lap making a move right before the last turn and holding a good lead through the line… I reach the turnaround in 7:07 pace, and calculate I’ll probably average right under 7:05 due to the downhill, and warming up on the way back to campus. At 2.8 miles, an elderly lady had her dog run off the porch, and starting yipping at me. I look back and notice she is yelling for her dog to come back to her. I felt bad, so I tried reaching for the little thing to come to me so I could grab it and give it back to her, but after a good five minutes and playing chase and attack, I gave up. I started to get chilled, and needed to get back on the road, so I took off. I heard the women yelling at her dog more, but I thought after a couple hundred yards under seven minute pace the dog would give up. I looked back, after hearing the lady calling still, but he was in no sight, so once again I let my mind slip into a haze.
I get back to the gym in 35:17. (7:03 pace) I decided a good stretch is in order, I was pretty tight the entire morning, and after warming up the muscles it was a great time to get the rust of the of legs. I flip over one of the golfing mats on the stage and spend fifteen minutes holding stretches 25-30 seconds. After going about my routine, I stand up and do a quick hurdle routine I’ve come to love, learning it through a Jay Johnson video over winter break. After, I set up my phone to Pandora’s Cold War Kids station, and as I start doing the Team Indiana Elite core workout (minus the strides). A good hour has went by after starting the run, and after the workout is complete, I change, splash water on my face trying to clean up as much as possible, and head to Shawnees local café, called the Bears Den for some lunch.
11:30am – I notice Eric Putnam was with a younger kid and an older lady. A recruit! Awesome, I thought. I make my way over there and I’m greeted by Eric who introduces me to Donaven, a senior out of Grove city, and respectable runner. After a quick handshake and some words, I make my way see what the den has to offer today. In the grill station, a Sedexo lady is cooking up fresh peppers, and shrimp. I decide to get a bowl, and a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs, salad, and two glasses of chocolate milk and make my way to the big round table.
I take my time and conversating with everyone, as more runners pile into the café for lunch. Done with classes for today, I sit back, enjoy and take part in the different topics.
12:30pm -The decide to try and take a nap at my girlfriend Jamie’s dorm. We watch some sort of western documentary on the History Channel and drift in and out of sleep. The small twin bed can be a bit of a challenge to get comfortable, but this morning’s routine left me sleepy.
2:00pm – Jamie has practice, so I head to the library and spend a good bit of time watching flotrack videos, lurking on Letsrun threads, and doing what every collegiate runner does when given free time and a computer.
2:45pm – I notice I’m starting to get the afternoon heaviness, and decide to make a trip to Starbucks. I am greeted by my old manager, a fake cheesy smile, and a couple of “how do ya does”, and I order a double shot of espresso, and a cinnamon scone. I notice an older customer sitting at the table that I’ve come to talk to over the years. I greeted him and spent forty five minutes drinking coffee and talking about nutrition… “That’s what wrong with America. Portion sizes, High-Fructose corn syrup, and welfare”… I notice it’s almost 3:30pm, and planned on heating my shin before practice, so I said my goodbyes and headed back to the trainers.
3:30pm – I walk into the trainers, noticing the head trainer, doing some sort of ab-workout, sweating profusely; I grabbed a towel, heating pad, and strap for myself. I click on some tunes with my ipod and relax, letting the heat seep deep into my muscles in my lower right leg. I am very specific that I heat for exactly ten minutes, I keep a watchful eye on the time, and after that ten minutes passed I head back down stairs to be greeted by some of the guys on the team who are getting ready for practice. We quickly are drawn to the gym floor, and basketballs are swirling through the air, usually hitting the rims and bouncing off, or missing the hoop completely. Are lack of athletic talent is shown, as basketballs quickly become hazardous missiles thrown about in the air.
4:05pm – The team heads out for yet another two mile warm up, this time Galen Dills and I lead the team and decide to run the loop that has come to be known as, “Michael Owen two-mile loop”. We swing around the biker club, and after two hundred yards or so, we turn around at an old road and I check the first mile, 7:07. Not too fast, I thought. As we retrace our steps back to the gym, Breydon, Galen, and I are up front talking about tattoos and girls usually. Typical conversing. We stop just short of the gym entrance and I check my watch. 13:41. Whoops. That last mile of the “warm-up” was 6:34. Shin was feeling pretty good tough so I wasn’t worried. As we stretch and go about our small routines, I pay close attention to my lower legs and make sure they are warmed up and fully stretched out.
We planned earlier in the week, about running out at the forest for some trail action today, but after having a recruit here and running with us, I opted to cancel today's trip to make sure we are here as a team for the senior. “Sprint Drillizs, COMON’!!!” Eric Putnam’s voice echoes over the gym, as we make our way to the alumni-green for some typical high knees, butt kicks, etc... After our last stride, I yelled, “Huddle!” The team, hands on each others shoulders, come together, and we decided the route for today. Some want Kentucky, Some want Zig-Zag, but a lot of runners are only going 45 minutes, so we agree for an out and back on the floodwall would be nice.
We set out, and once up on the grassy hill, I loosen up nicely, and we carry an easy 7:10 pace, talking about the usual stuff. Behind the floodwall, after two miles, it becomes very muddy, as we jump and hurdle large mud pit’s, and try to keep our feet dry as long as possible. Twenty two minutes and thirty seconds we turn back, and head west back to campus. Eric Putnam and I are, once again, in a pretty heavy musical discussion. He herd Bruce Springsteen’s new single today off his upcoming album, and had to explain how good it was.
Once back on the floodwall, two miles from campus, I was thankful I had a high collar half –zip. I quickly push the zipper all the way up, so my neck is saved from the typical eastern chilly winds. Once back on campus, the forty five minute guys drop off, Joe Stewart, Derek Ryan, Chuck Wentz and myself head out along the murals. We go out about five minutes, and head back. Chuck’s Garmin had 7.45, living by the clock, we add on, running laps around the alumni green until that little beep on his watch goes off.
5:30pm – We are going about our post-run stretches to some new age rap music being played over the loud speakers. The Shawnee State’s women’s basketball team has a game at 6pm, and there are shooting around going about their own rituals. I convince Breydon to come to the gym and lift with me. As we head to the weight room, today's focus is biceps, triceps, and forearms. After a good fifty minutes of curls, triceps kick-backs, wrist curls, etc… We decided to do the second part of the workout which is a core circuit of back extensions, abductor machine, sit-ups, med ball side-to-sides, etc…
6:45pm – After a long hour and fifteen in the gym, both of us are spent. Some of the guys are heading to b-dubs for boneless wing night, but I had previous plans. I was on the verge of death, starving so bad I decided to swing through Arby’s drive through for a couple of chicken sandwiches off their dollar menu. First time I had fast food in months, I try to be positive about it, and as I scarf down the delicious but tiny sandwiches. I parked my car outside the campus view dorms, and make my way to Jamie’s. I am greeted and let inside, where I become very very thirsty. I quickly take down a good thirty ounces of cool-aid I find in the fridge.
7:30pm - We head back out to my car, and drive the half mile to Holiday Inn. We act as casual as we can, as we walk by the front desk into the pool room, making no eye contact and making sure no questions are asked. I change into my running shorts and crawl into the hot tub. The daily tolls of a fifteen mile day, two core workouts and upper body routine are weighing down on me, as I find it very easy relax and let the small jets push against my back.
8:00pm – I drop Jamie off back at her dorm, she had previous plans with her friends to attend to men’s basketball game tonight, and I head back out on the road and make the long trip back North West to the cabin.
8:30pm – After I arrive back home, I turn on Serious-XM’s university station, and spend an hour cleaning up my vics, and packing. There is still a good bit of dirt from last time these multi-colored victory spikes have seen the ground. November 19th, 2011 Vancouver, Washington. That’s a story by itself, and one I rarely want to talk about. I grabbed my collection of spikes, and remembered when I was out west for Nationals I got twelve blue needle spikes from the Nike Store in Eugene, Oregon. I decided to wrench them in, and spent a couple minutes lurking at the beauty. My heart starts to thump and a quick shot of adrenaline shoot up my neck, but I quickly shut it down. "Not yet", I remind myself.
9:30pm – After packing my bag for the weekend, and getting stuff situated for school for the upcoming day, I go outside to use the bathroom and to bring in the starry cold night. Pup and Rock-o quickly notice the open opportunity and run inside the cabin. Yet again it’s a very chilly night, so I accept another night with the pups and agree to let them crash on the couch together.
Back in the warmth of my bed, I spend about thirty minutes screaming through four chapters in “Again to Carthage”, and have to force myself to put it down.
10:00pm – I notice the clock, and with a 7:45am wake up call the next morning I decided to turn the Lights out. I’ve brushed my teeth, face is washed, iron, multi-vitamin, and fish oil are taken, and I’m left with the days and the future thoughts to float around in my head. I begin to think about this season opener Saturday at Marietta. Once again I get myself quickly worked up, so I change up my thoughts, and only after a couple minutes I drift into a very deep deep slumber.
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